Chinese Start-Up Byton Presents an Electric SUV

The Chinese start-up Byton is exhibiting an SUV at the CES in Las Vegas. The Byton Concept electric vehicle will achieve a new level of man-machine interaction.

Still in the concept-car stage, the SUV is 4.85 metres long and offers a wheelbase of 2.94 metres. Three facial-recognition cameras open the doors to authorised persons after checking their biometric data. Once inside, passengers are greeted by a luxuriously appointed interior with wooden flooring, leather seats, numerous displays and nearly full networking based on the new 5G mobile wireless standard.

"The Byton Concept SUV connects both the automotive and digital industries in ways that will deliver an entirely new connective experience for people on the move", says CEO Dr. Carsten Breitfeld. The "Shared Experience Display" spans almost the entire interior width behind the steering wheel. Measuring 125 centimetres in length by 25 centimetres in height, the touchscreen can additionally be controlled by gestures and voice commands. The "Driver Tablet Display" integrated into the steering wheel can control various vehicle functions. It also includes buttons at its edge to control the automatic transmission, for example. Two more screens are available for the rear-seat passengers.

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Powerful electric SUV with many customisation options

Everything is customisable thanks to a cloud platform connection and an on-board AI system: seat settings, music, apps and the calendar are loaded automatically as soon as the user enters the vehicle. Various sensors can even analyse the user’s health by monitoring his heart rate and blood pressure. Two cameras replace the door mirrors, and another rear camera provides additional images.

The production model will be available in two output versions, and it is designed for automated driving. In the base model, a 200 kW electric motor with a torque rating of 400 newton-meters drives the rear wheels. The 71 kWh battery should allow a range of 400 kilometres. The 350 kW all-wheel-drive version provides 710 newton-meters of torque and can cover a distance of 520 kilometres with its 95 kWh battery. The SUV is set to go into series production in China as early as 2019, and it should launch in Europe one year later. A saloon and a seven-seater will be built on the same platform.